This was a great year for headphones. It seems we have finally pulled ourselves out of the distortion-laden music that dominated the 90’s. Artists are paying particular attention to the nuances of subtle production. Even metal bands are concentrating on the background noises. In fact, we’re entering an era of music that needs a new name. Having moved past “alternative” into “indie,” we’re on the cusp of something entirely new. I am nowhere near important enough to coin a new term, so I won’t try. Everyone seems to be able to feel it, though. Independent-label music is being used for everything from network television shows to the NBA.

This was also a very good year for live music, which is nice. It could be argued that every year is a good year for live music, since bands are almost always defined by how well they perform with a crowd, but the intrinsic value of live performances getting some deserved attention. Lip-syncing (which it a low point in 2005 with Ashley Simpson’s embarrassing spectacle) has all but disappeared. Even artists like Kanye West, who genuinely can’t sing (even with the help of a vocoder) are brave enough to perform honestly to highlight their true emotions.

For me, it was just a great year.

#10

Foals

Antidotes

Ugh. I know, I know. They are less talented than Bloc Party, less complicated than Battles, less intelligent than Klaxons, and packed with more more pretentiousness than Tom Cruise at a Fall Out Boy concert. But I can’t help it, I love this album. I was just a little en-saddened to discover that, according to iTunes on my computer at work, I have played Antidotes more than almost any other album (at least my #1 and #2 have it beat). It is also now a staple in the Smith house, since it’s the album we play while we clean the house with the kids (by the way, there are very few things more adorable than a 4 year old singing “dis-uh-peah” in a faux English accident).

If you haven’t heard the album yet, I recommend it. If you haven’t seen their videos, keep it that way. Watching them reminds me of every prideful drama kid I went to high school with. I’ll be avoiding their videos, live shows, and appearances on whatever late-night show their record company orders them to play. I’ll stay blissfully ignorant and enjoy this album for what it is: fun and danceable pop.

#9

Elbow

The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow is reading my mind. Somehow they managed to psychically determine all of my favorite bands, albums, and songs since I was 14, threw them into some kind of musical blender, poured it over ice cream, then digitally transferred the whole delicious mess to a compact disc. Listening to The Seldom Seen Kid, I am bombarded with nostalgia. It simultaneously conjures memories of Radiohead while driving down Highway 99, hearing Smashing Pumpkins for the first time in Nathan’s car in my sophomore year, and trading musical discoveries with Steve in Southern California. This album is just, I don’t know, comfortable.

Maybe it’s no surprise that Elbow has been playing together for 18 years. They have managed to encompass that experience perfectly on their new album.

#8

M83

Saturdays = Youth

This album drives Carol insane for the same reason I love it: Anthony Gonzalez has managed to perfectly produce emotional 80’s nostalgia as an 11 track album. Inexplicably, though, Saturdays = Youth doesn’t sound like the 80’s, rather it sounds like how the 80’s felt (does that even make sense?). As opposed to the current trend in pure 80’s revivalism, this album is more like what the 80’s would sound like if the 80’s were alive today. M83 uses all of the best tricks used by all of the best bands, but does it better and with a perfectly modern attention to detail.

The album is perhaps best encapsulated by the Graveyard Girl’s ridiculous lines, “I wonder if they’ll miss me. I won’t miss them. The cemetery is my home. I wanna be a part of it, invisible even to the night. And I’ll read poetry to the stars… I’m 15 years old and I feel it’s already too late to live. Don’t you?” Every time I hear it, I am wonderfully embarrassed because I remember thinking almost exactly the same thing.

Plus, every time I listen to the album, I have the inescapable urge to look up John Hughes just to see if he’s working on anything new. He’s not. Which sucks.

#7

HEALTH

HEALTH//DISCO

It is impossible to separate this album from it’s original. Each song is a remix of a song from their self-titled debut release. Their 2007 album is a flawless cacophony of mind-numbing noise rock so lovably retarded and absurd that it simply demands your attention. The remixes are… coherent. Listenable. Downright pleasing. It’s like mixing sea salt with chocolate, it doesn’t sound like it should work, but boy howdy it does.

This album would be great as it’s own release, but knowing the songs from which each artist drew their inspiration makes it infinitely more impressive. It speaks volumes about the talent of each of them, as well as the genuine creativity and vision of HEALTH.

#6

WHY?

Alopecia

Definitely the best album by WHY? and easily the best album released by Anticon. Ever. Far too often, the indie crowd rewards new releases with an indecisive shrug and a casual aside: “I like their earlier work.” WHY? might suffer from this unfortunate (and ever-present) trend more than most. Alopecia is mature. Unfortunately, their fans are not (sorry guys). Alopecia is also intelligent, thorough, and occasionally (genuinely) tragic. I can’t help but think that this is what popular music should sound like.

We are also treated to one of the most beautifully poetic lines penned all year (from the song These Few Presidents), “Even though I haven’t seen you in years, yours is a funeral I’d fly to from anywhere.”

#5

Frightened Rabbit

The Midnight Organ Fight

You will fall in love with this album at the :51 second mark of the first track.

This album is like musical heroin. Every song is designed to make you feel some kind of excruciating joy. It’s science.

There is a ton of good music coming out of the United Kingdom. It’s so nice living in an age when we can discover these bands without an introduction by a multi-million dollar record company. Even 15 years ago, a band this good might have gone completely unnoticed without the help of a major label. Instead, a small start-up record company with a knack for international marketing can spread these beautiful sounds around the entire world. And lowly schmucks like me on the other side of the planet can pretend we’re still cool because we listen to independent music. It’s awesome.

#4

TV on the Radio

Dear, Science

Is anyone making music as good as TV on the Radio? Anything I could say about this album would sound like a rehash of everything I said about Return to Cookie Mountain in 2006. Every song they record would have been the best song ever written by any other band. Most bands are lucky if they can find 11 songs this good for a best of album. Frankly, I don’t even understand how they do it. They have managed to continue churning out great songs without sounding pigeonholed or tired.

The major labels can whine all they want about music pirating and continue spoon-feeding us garbage, but if they insist on ignoring music like this, then good riddance. Even Rolling Stone gave this album their #1 spot in the same year as a Bob Dylan release. That’s saying something. Dear, Science is that good.

#3

Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes

We were lucky enough to catch Fleet Foxes during MFNW. Nothing about Fleet Foxes is bad. Absolutely nothing. The album gets better every single time I listen to it. In fact, I’m listening to it right now and thinking, “Am I sure I don’t want to make this my #1?” Picking a favorite song on this record is like trying to pick a favorite scene from Shawshank Redemption. The concept just doesn’t make a lot of sense, since so many parts are equally great for totally different reasons.

Lyrically intelligent and musically brilliant, Fleet Foxes have carved out an odd niche of pseudo-bluegrass indie pop ballad rock. It is the perfect soundtrack to sitting on a comfy couch, covered in blankets, watching the snow fall on the trees while drinking Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut tea with coconut creamer (which is exactly what I’m doing right now).

#2

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend

For most of the year, this album was aimed squarely at the #1 spot. Vampire Weekend has something of a Napoleon Dynamite quality to it: You either love it or you don’t get it. Even the reviews were a bit scattered (though leaning heavily toward near-perfect). Critics either hailed it as the future of modern pop or wrote a 500 word equivalent of “Uh… what?” This house is definitely in the camp with the former. Nothing gets our kids dancing faster than A-Punk. And Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa is Carol and my song of the year (we have songs of the year, by the way).

Having no idea that it was even possible to love this album even more, Carol and I saw them live. I would hate to say that we went from simply loving them to something nearing teenage obsession. I would hate to say that. But I did say that. Because I’m being honest. We haven’t discussed it, but there is a very real possibility that both Carol and I will buy one another the new Vampire Weekend album the exact day it’s released (whenever that happens to occur).

#1

Bon Iver

For Emma, Forever Ago

Okay, I’m cheating on this one. Bon Iver actually self-released this album late last year. But it wasn’t released by Jagjaguwar until early this year. So I (like everyone else) am counting it for 2008.

I’m at a bit of a loss of words. Mostly because when this album is playing (it is now), I want to close my eyes, relax, and soak in every note.

In fact, forget it. Just watch this. With headphones if you can manage it. Every time I hear this song, it makes me love Carol so much I want to cry.

Top Ten Albums of 2007

#1 Arcade Fire Neon Bible
#2 Battles Mirrored
#3 The Field From Here We Go Sublime
#4 The National Boxer
#5 Les Savy Fav Let’s be Friends
#6 Justin Timberlake Futuresex/Lovesounds
#7 Band of Horses Cease To Begin
#8 HEALTH HEALTH
#9 Liars Liars
#10 Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Top Ten Albums of 2006

#1 TV On The Radio Return to Cookie Montain
#2 The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America
#3 Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
#4 Guillemots Through the Windowpane
#5 The Decemberists The Crane Wife
#6 Band of Horses Everything All the Time
#7 Junior Boys So This Is Goodbye
#8 Mastodon Blood Mountain
#9 Ghostface Killah Fishscale
#10 Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

Top Ten Albums of 2005

#1 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
#2 Sufjan Stevens Illinoise
#3 The Decemberists Picaresque
#4 Sigur Rós Takk…
#5 Bright Eyes I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning
#6 My Morning Jacket Z
#7 13&God 13&God
#8 José González Veneer
#9 M.I.A. Arular
#10 Isolée Wearemonster